1. Field of Use
This invention relates to manufacture of hollow, filamentary composite tubes. The resulting tubes have the filamentary reinforcement selectively positioned within a thermoset resin matrix; they can be used, for example, to transmit torque in the drive train of motor vehicles.
2. Prior Art
Filamentary composite tubes have been proposed for reduced weight shafts in the drive train of motor vehicles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,171,626; 4,236,386; 4,238,539; 4,238,540 and 4,289,557. See, also, "Development of an Advanced Composite Tail Rotor Driveshaft" by Zinberg et al presented at the 26th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Washington, D.C., June 1970.
Fabrication of composite tubes by applying fiber to a cylindrical mandrel is known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,248,062; 4,532,579 and 3,407,101. This invention differs from these prior art techniques in that it provides for successive production of suitably reinforced composite tubes using a continuous tubular mandrel of joined mandrel segments.